Sudan/CPA: AEC receives briefing on SPLM/NCP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KHARTOUM 001469

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV EAID PREL SU
SUBJECT: Sudan/CPA: AEC receives briefing on SPLM/NCP
Meeting

REF: Khartoum 1308


1. (SBU) Paragraph 3 contains the final Joint Communique
from the recently held NCP/SPLM senior level meetings
(reftel). At the Assessment and Evaluation Committee
meeting on June 20, both sides were invited to brief the
results of the meeting. For the NCP, Sayed el-Khatib,
Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, read the
document, adding little commentary, except to say the
meeting was a success. SPLM Ann Itto, Minister of State
for Agriculture, made the following comments:

-- The meeting was important. It went on for 3 days.
It should have gone on for five. There was a lot to
discuss.

-- There was too much focus on form; not enough on
substance. More committees were set up. No timelines
were established. Tough divisive issues were discussed
at length, but none was resolved.

-- Abyei remains a key issue. Absent its resolution, the
security situation could deteriorate. The four options
agreed upon (see section on Abyei below) have been sent
to the Presidency for decision.


2. (SBU) Itto's intervention was a strong, coherent,
and rare intervention on the part of the SPLM with regard
to its frustration over the pace of CPA implementation.
NCP Khatib listened but did not respond. Vraalsen urged
the parties to tackle these issues quickly and
substantively. He also announced that he would be
traveling to Abyei in the next 2 weeks, hopefully to pave
the way for an AEC visit.


3. Begin text:

The 1st Joint Meeting between the NCP's Leading Office
and the SPLM's Politbureau

The Final Communique and Recommendations

27-29 May 2006


The meeting held closed sessions in which it discussed
joint working and partisan papers on the following
issues:

1. CPA implementation.

2. The security situation.

3. Partnership: concept and machineries.

4. Relations with the other political forces.

5. Darfur.

6. Eastern Sudan.

7. Regional and international relations.

8. Media.

The two partners decided to strengthen the principles,
programs and institutions of their partnership and
affirmed that this partnership does neither aim at
isolation nor marginalization of the other political
forces. Rather it is partnership for consolidation of
peace and stability as well as boosting democratic
transformation. The two partners welcome the DPA and
appealed to the other sides that fail to undersign to
join. They welcome the launching of the Eritrean
initiative for achieving peace in eastern Sudan.

After thorough evaluation of the achievements since the
CPA signature, the joint meeting formed five committees
that reached the following recommendations:

In the political and executive field:

The two sides agreed on:

01. The necessity of existence of coordination
machineries for guaranteeing the CPA implementation and
treatment of partnership questions.

02. Approval of Catching-up Program for implementation
of the CPA delayed provision and resort to arbitration in
the questions that prove difficult to resolve through
direct consultations.

03. Approval of coordinated media method between the two
partners.

04. Development of comprehensive media policy in
accordance with the representation weight.

05. Multiplication of the efforts of the two partners
for propagation and generalization of the CPA and the
INC.

06. Upgrading the reconciliation process and boost

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understanding among the Sudanese people.

07. Confidence building between the two partner parties
at all political levels and structures.

08. Improve and extend dialogue in the process of
democratic transformation and basic freedoms embodied in
the CPA and INC.

09. Strive to involve the other political forces in the
CPA implementation.

10. Paying respect for institutionalism and boosting
cooperation.

11. Establishment and construction of institutions of
governments at all levels for boosting the rational rule.

12. Affirm the two partners' commitment to the tenets of
foreign policy embodied in the CPA and the INC and
normalization of relations with the neighbouring states.

13. Speed-up the implementation of the DPA.

14. Speed-up the process of peace talks in eastern
Sudan.

In the economic field

First, the JNTT
The two parties call the Presidency of the Republic to
review the mandate granted to the JNTT in conformity with
the CPA.

Second: the MDTF
The meeting calls for:
a. The GoNU shall urge the MDTF to speed-up
implementation of the JAM programs in conformity and in
accordance with the priorities of this program and the
CPA.
b. The GoNU shall encourage the donors to speed-up
provision and pumping of necessary resources for
reconstruction and development.
c. The GoNU strives to confirm the effective
participation of the communities especially the war-
affected and less-developed ones in the programs and
projects that are implemented through the MDTF.

Third: The National Fund for Development and
Reconstruction:
The meeting apeals to the Presidency to speed-up the
formation of the National Fund for Development and
Reconstruction for assuming its role in reconstruction
and development of the war-affected and less-developed
areas outside the southern Sudan.

Fourth: The National Petroleum Commission:
The two sides call the NCP and SPLM leaders in their
capacities as alternating chairpersons of the NPC to
speed-up the effectuation of the NPC works through the
technical committees for undertaking the following:

1. Revision of the petroleum act to conform with the
provisions of the CPA.

2. Formulation of the policies and directives of the
petroleum sector.

3. Look into the report of the SPLM committee on the
valid petroleum contract.

4. Assessment of the material, ecological, and social
impact of petroleum investment.

Fifth: Petroleum development:
The two parties call all the levels of government in
Sudan to protect the production and development of
petroleum in their areas in conformity with the CPA
provisions.
uiQ\Q1/ilding.

Seventh: Issuing the new currency:
The meeting calls the Bank of Sudan to speed-up issuing
the new currency.

Eighth: The National Lands Commission:
The meeting calls the Presidency to speed-up composition
of the NLC.
Nineth: Non-oil revenues:
The two sides call the Ministry of Finance and National
Economy to speed-up laying down the system of non-oil
revenues in the southern Sudan as the two sides call the
GOSS and the concerned state governments to assist in the
establishment of such system in conformity with the CPA
provisions.

Tenth: Public and private companies and corporations:

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a. The two sides call all the levels of government in
the south to facilitate the activities of the public and
private companies and corporations in accordance with the
criteria of competence, law, CPA provisions, and the best
international practice.
b. The two sides call all levels of government in the
Sudan to encourage the development of the Sudanese
private sector in appropriate competitive atmosphere.

In the security field

First: Recommendations in the Field of Security
Arrangements:
a. The Security Committee: mindful that the conclusion
of the protocol of security arrangements has constituted
the major breakthrough for reaching the CPA
b. As it is highly praising the strict commitment to
ceasefire as no single confrontation between SAF and SPLA
was recorded since Year 2002
c. As it takes cognizance of the machineries formed in
accordance with the CPA such as:

1. The Joint Defense Council.

2. The joint forces.

3. Ceasefire observing committees.

4. Cooperation committee for treatment of the
situations of the other armed groups.

5. DDR National Commission and North and South two
commissions.

6. The National Organ for Mines Combat.
d. As it takes cognizance of the steps and procedures
adopted by the two sides for carrying out the operation
of redeployment north and south of 1956 line.
e. Inspired by the above-mentionedand based on the
achieved appreciated successes, it recommends the
following: "Giving the required political momentun for
the organs and machineries mentioned in Para. (c) by
composition of the branch security committee within the
machineries of partnership at high representation level
for:

1. political supervision of these organs and
machineries and strive to solve the problems that inhibit
performance of their missions for guarantee of their
efficiency.

2. Treatment of the situations of the armed factions in
accordance to the provisions of the CPA in a time range
to be approved by the two sides.

3. Support the redeployment process to be completed in
the specified and agreed-on calendars and dates as well
as verification of the information of the two sides in
this repsect.

4. Supervision and support the process of completion of
the composition of the joint forces and guarantee their
performance of their duties.

Second: In the field of Security Situations:
The Committee reviewed the security reports presented by
the two sides in the joint meeting as it took cognizance
of the constructive step which was undertaken by the
Federal Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Police
and Security in the southern Sudan of undersigning a
joint memo of understanding. In this field, the
Committee recommends the following:
a. Extol the provisions of that understanding memo and
call for speeding-up implementation of these provisions
in order to boost the spirit of joint action and the
mutual support for of the various levels of govt to each
other and urge the other govt organs to follow suit.
b. Endorsement of the formation of high coordiantion
machinery from the specialized bodies at the various
levels of govt for undertaking the coordination of police
and security activities in general and shall be vested
the following mandate:

1. Boost the coordination and contacts among the
various police levels in the north and south.

2. Supervision of the process of treatment of the
situation of police in the south, southern Kordofan and
Blue Nile.

3. Treatment of the questions related to the control of
the systems of passports, immigration, customs works, and
civil aviation in accordance with the INC and law.

4. Approval of the GOSS initiative for solving the
problem of LRA in accordance with the options presented
by the GOSS. The two sides shall coordinate their
efforts to execute it.

5. Exchange of information and recommend necessary
treatment by the specialized authorities.

6. Affirm that the phenomenon of widespread of the
small arms is highly-complicated. Social, economic and
cultural variables are jointly responsible for this
problem a matter that requires deep surveying studies

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that radically treat the reasons behind this phenomenon
and build plans and strategies for controlling them.

7. Lay down the smooth treatments to the process of
disarming the individuals who are not affiliated to armed
factions.

8. Lay down treatments for avoiding skirmishes between
transit pastoralists and farmers and lay down the
arrangements that guarantee the safety of move and travel
for the citizens in the touch points.

In the Abyei Question
Firstly:
There is no difference between the NCP and SPLM over the
special administrative position of the Abyei area and the
formation of the institutions provided for in the CPA.
Secondly:
The two sides agreed to form the administration of the
Abyei area from all the resident citizens in accordance
with the CPA.
Thirdly:
The two sides differed on the ABC Report. While the SPLM
recommends implementation of that Report as final and
binding, the NCP objects it on the ground that it
bypassed the mandate granted to the experts.
Fourthly:
We present the following options to the Presidency to
solve the problem:
a. Reach solution based on political grounds.
b. Invite the experts to come and defend their report.
c. Refer the question for solution via the legal means
i.e. to the constitutional court.
d. Refer the question to arbitration through a third
party approved by the two sides.

In the field of political partnership
The two sides agreed on the following:
The Joint Annual Meeting
*Composed of the NCP Leading Office and the SPLM
Political and Interim Office (60-60)
*Meets annually.
The Leading Coordination Committee
*Shall be headed by the NCP and SPLM leaders.
*Includes the two deputy leaders,two sec-gen., and
others. Total membership: Leader+5 members from each
side.
*Hold a regular meeting once every three months and may
hold emergency meetings.
The Political Committee for Follow-up:
*Shall be headed by the two sec.-gen. and includes 5
members from each party beside the Sec.-Gen.
*The NCP and SPLM shall be represented in this Committee
on high-level by leaders in the executive, legislative,
and political bodies.
*It may form branch committees and specialized work
teams.
*Hold a regular meeting once per month and may hold
emergency meetings.
Finally:
The two partners, for realizing national consensus,
decided to initiate holding a meeting with the leaders of
the Sudanese political forces as soon as their joint
meeting concludes for running consultations with them on
the constructive cooperation in the light of the CPA and
the INC.

HUME